Meet the Ex-Boss
by PurpleDove4
Summary: This is only half serious, and probably way off the mark, but it popped into my head and I decided to have a little fun with it. I am a bit of a fan of Detective Conan/Case Closed and Magic Kaito. If there was an old boss of the 'Black Organizaion,' what might he or she be like?
1. Break-In

Subaru sighed. It had been a long day. Conan had asked him to set a few things up, then supervise the outcome, just to be on the safe side.

That kid was something else.

Partially due to his fatigue, he headed straight for the guest rooms. He pushed open the one on the left by mistake and nearly dropped the book he was holding.

His eyes refused to tear away from the scene before him. There lay a woman, sleeping. She had long, black hair and seemed to be wearing all black.

That didn't bother him.

See, what really bothered him was the fact that she was there in the first place.

Alive.

"Ki ama..." He found himself whispering her old nickname. She shifted and he froze, unsure of what to do. Should he wake her up and question her or just leave her be and hope she stuck around?

He decided to let her rest and hope for the best, so he headed off to bed.

-next morning-

On his way downstairs, he noted she was still in bed, so he made two servings instead of the usual one.

She walked in, stretching just as he sat down.

She yawned, blinked a few times, then sat down across from him.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"Was it you that disturbed me last night?" She asked. "'Cause then you're definitely Akai Shuichi, though I can't imagine the circumstances that landed you in Kudo Yuusaku's residence."

So she knew, or had at least figured it out.

"I can't imagine what landed you in Kudo Shinichi's residence."

"I chose to crash here because Yukiko-san gave me the 'whenever' sort of leeway some years ago. I only made use of it now."

"My apartment burned down," he said shortly.

She nodded.

"So who are you this time and where's Jody-san?"

"Name's Subaru. Jody believes some guy named Gin killed me."

"I see." She began eating, meaning the conversation was over.

"You're alive," he pressed. She set down her fork.

"Yeah. Somehow I got out of there in time, unseen, by some miracle." She sighed and shook her head. "That was too close for comfort."

"So, Kuroba Miki, what am I to call you now?"

A frown appeared on her generally expressionless face.

"I suppose you could call me Amarante. The general public seems to be satisfied with that one."

He smirked.

"Perhaps even more satisfied than they are with Subaru, maybe?" He joked. Finally, she cracked a smile.

"Quite possibly, I mean, how long has Subaru existed? A year, maybe?" He shook his head.

"Less."

"Amarante's had ten years to make an identity."

"You kept the same name?"

"It would be more suspicious to change it," she pointed out as she resumed eating. Subaru followed suit after adding:

"That is very true."

As they cleaned up after eating, Miki startled him by asking:

"How's Sher-Shiho-chan, doing?"

Subaru flinched, then stopped and turned,

"You were about to say 'Sherry.'" She nodded.

"I was fairly close with the family before s*** happened."

"No. You were involved."

"Yes."

"What was your codename?" She shook her head.

"I don't want to talk about it."

Miki emphasized her point by leaving the house.

"See ya later!" She called.

Subaru had just gotten the shock of his life and he knew Shiho would refuse to speak with him. Should he ask Conan? Actually, that might work.

His hand paused over the phone for only a moment.

No, he would wait. She would probably tell him soon enough, anyway.

Immediately outside, her old phone buzzed with a text message.

* Miki *

There were only two reasons why she kept it after that incident, one being that every so often, she received a text from her adorable nephew. After glancing to the side, she opened it and read the text:

Hey Auntie Miki!

Found your number again, buried away in the phone book. Mother informed me of your passing yesterday. Apparently I've been sending text messages to a dead woman (or some stranger) for the last ten years. Really sorry to disturb you. Maybe you left this plugged in at home and one of your friends is reading them. If so, I really hope it's Yukiko. She's so nice and fun, last I checked, anyway, which was after you died.  
Been periodically living alone for a while now. Mom goes out almost all the time – Spain, France, America – and videos me when I get home from school. Whoever you are, you're probably very kind. I'd like to meet you, in fact. How does this Saturday at ten at the abandoned warehouse by the dock sound? It's a place she spoke with father about secrets, or so mother told me. Please come. I would be very disappointed if you didn't.

Sincerely,

Kuroba Kaito.

A smile lit up her face as she read it. Of course she would come! He was an excellent keeper of secrets, last she checked, and he learned from the best in the trade: his parents.

Then she stopped. If he learned about her past, who tried to kill her and he connections, he would press further.

Now she was undecided.

Everything would hang on her experiences for the next week.


	2. Suspicions I

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Detective Conan or Magic Kaito

* * *

Haibara burst into the professor's house, holding a hairpin.

"Professor! I need you to check where this came from!"

He raised an eyebrow at her and didn't move.

"Please! It may be an important connection that Conan will want!"

Now he moved.

"Sure. I'll look into it," he replied.

"On second thought..." She snatched her cellphone and dialed Conan. He answered on the first ring.

"Haibara?"

"I need someone who will run a DNA test without asking too many questions," she said quickly.

"Uh... Hakuba, maybe? I think his grandfather has a lab for that stuff or something, why?"

"I found a hairpin that looks familiar and I pray I'm wrong."

"Relax. I doubt it's the case. I'll contact him anyway, then call you back, okay?"

"Okay." She hung up and sighed.

"Fruitless effort?" Agasa guessed.

"Not entirely," Haibara decided. "Apparently some guy's grandfather has a DNA lab. Anyway, this hairpin even has a strand of hair and possibly fingerprints."

"Yours?"

"Oh no, I used my handkerchief just in case."

"...I see..." Professor Agasa looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Do you recognize it, by chance?"

"Well...yes, actually. This kid named Miki. I saw her talking with Yukiko and Yuusaku once and they gave her permission to crash at their place. She died ten years ago. Shinichi was really little then, so he probably doesn't remember." Haibara suddenly looked panicked.

"How did she die?" Professor Agasa raised an eyebrow, but answered anyway:

"The plane she was on exploded in mid-air. She was the only passenger and no trace of her was left."

"She...was my old boss," Haibara choked out.

"She w**ha**t?!" Agasa exploded.

"She was my old boss," Haibara repeated in a shaky voice. "Black Death. Probably the only person who could order Gin and Vermouth around without them fighting back."

"What would cause them to do that?"

"She was extremely strict about killing. I heard later that she only requested a total of two deaths per year, regardless of status, which some complained about, but never questioned. We respected her but were also a little afraid of her. If she ever comes back, heads will roll."

"...I see...including yours?" Haibara shrugged.

"No idea. I suppose she would either do that or find a way to force me back in. Maybe even procure a disguise for me, who knows?"

Silence fell as the door clicked open and the Detective Boys barged in.

It broke as soon as they found the Professor and Haibara.

"It's terrible!" Ayumi cried. "We can't find Conan-kun!"

"It's okay," Haibara tried, "he's just looking into something. He'll call us soon enough."

"Is there a mystery-" Genta began.

"-or a case-" Mitsuhiko added.

"-that needs to be solved?" Ayumi finished. Haiara sighed.

"Not really, no," she lied. "Just checking how accurate someone's records are on the living and the dead. Conan-kun's just getting permission to use a DNA lab for this. It's nothing exciting."

"Wait," Mitsuhiko interrupted. "It sounds like someone thought to be alive might really be dead or someone thought to be dead may have fooled the police and is really alive under a false identity! That's not boring at all!" Genta and Ayumi cheered in agreement. Haibara shook her head.

"No. It's not safe. The reason why Conan is the only one going is to avoid drawing att-" She tried, but was cut off.

"If it's a criminal, leave it to us!" Genta began.

"The Detective Boys!" All three cheered.

"No!" She finally yelled. "If she really is alive, it's far too dangerous for any more than just one person to be involved! She escaped from an exploding plane, has experience with all sorts of weapons and should only be handled by the FBI!" Silence fell as Ayumi, Genta and Mitsuhiko took it all in.

Haibara sighed.

"If you really must do something, help me research every last article that was written about an airplane accident from ten years ago, okay?"

They all jumped into action right away, much to Haibara's relief.

When she turned around, the professor was on the phone in the next room, his conversation drowned out by the children energetically going about their business.

Finally, the proessor walked back into the room.

"What's the verdict?"

"Well, Hakuba-kun called me directly and said we should all go. He also said he heard from an extremely reliable source that woman would never harm a group of children, regardless of their curiosity."

Haibara blinked a few times.

"So he wants all of us to come, not just Conan?" She asked.

"Precisely. He also said he'd like to meet her if she did survive, but-"

"-under no circumstances!" Haibara exploded, cutting him off. "He'd be toast! That woman can outwit-!" She froze, realizing all four pairs of eyes were on her and Subaru had just walked in.

Her face heated up and she closed her mouth after a moment of silence, taking a few steps away from Subaru's entrance.

"Sorry, I just dropped by to return the kettle I borrowed yesterday evening," he said calmly.

"Oh. Yes, of course," the professor covered, the outburst pushed to the side for the moment. "I'd forgotten about that."

Curious faces peeped out from behind the dividing wall.

"Ah!" Mitsuhiko started.

"Subaru-san!" Ayumi exclaimed with delight.

"Where's the kettle?" Genta asked. Subaru pushed up his glasses.

"I already placed it in the kitchen," he replied ever so calmly. Come to think of it, his lack of reaction was probably the creepiest, beyond the fact that he had 'Black Organization' written all over him.

"Oh," Genta responded.

Suddenly, Ayumi's eyes lit up.

"Subaru-san. Do you want to come with us to the DNA lab? Haibara-san wants to test a hairpin and Hakuba Saguru invited us to his!" She babbled. To Haibara's surprise, Subaru shook his head.

"No, sorry, I think you should just go with the professor and Conan – when you find him – and tell me all about it upon your return, okay?"

"O-kay!" The three cheered, pumping their fists excitedly.

"Can outwit whom?" The professor whispered to Haibara as Subaru continued talking to Ayumi, Genta and Mitsuhiko.

"She outwitted Kaito Kid once and a number of police, FBI, CIA and detectives. If she could fool Kudo Yukiko and Kudo Yuusaku, I think she can outwit this Hakuba kid."

The professor paused to think for a moment.

"You do know," he finally pointed out, "that Yukiko did know about Vermouth, but she just waited until they were alone before confronting her. Maybe there's someone who has a similar approach to this 'Black Death' person." Haibara frowned.

"Maybe," she allowed, "but I doubt it."

Subaru's voice stopped their conversation once more.

"So Haibara believes they might be the same person? That certainly would make things interesting..."

Something in his tone told Haibara that he already knew what the results of the test would be, and that did nothing to help her relax.

* Conan *

Conan relaxed, leaning back in the back seat, hands behind his head, waiting patiently for him to finish speaking with Professor Agasa.

As soon as Hakuba hung up, Conan turned his head to face him.

"A reliable source?" He echoed. "Who?" To his surprise, Hakuba smiled.

"Just a s**pecia**l friend of mine," he answered.


	3. Dead Woman

* Hakuba *

He could still recall that conversation. As soon as Conan had mentioned a hairpin that might belong to a criminal, Hakuba had dialed Kaito (aka. Kaito Kid). The phone was picked up just before the answering machine. Kaito was panting, too. Probably on a heist again.

"Now what?" He hissed. Hiding from someone.

"I have a few questions."

"Five minutes!"

"Okay, fire away," Kaito said eventually. Both had stayed on the line.

Actually, to Hakuba's surprise, he had heard gun fire.

"I figure, since you are who you are and all," Hakuba began, "you might know something about someone in a dangerous organization with a very unique hairpin." There was some shuffling.

"Well..." Kaito began, flipping paper. Hakuba half expected him to say something about a bad connection, but it never came. "Oh, here it is. My aunt was always busy with something, her parents died and none of us ever figured out how, but she was constantly cursing an old friend of hers and I wouldn't be surprised if he had a hand in my father's or her own death either."

"Keep talking," Hakuba had encouraged, "I think we might actually be getting somewhere."

He heard Kaito sigh.

"Ah! Here's a picture! Sorry, they're all with my parents because she died two years before my father did, but someone is receiving my texts on an inexistant phone that should have been destroyed in a plane bombing with her-oh! Okay, a close-up on the hairpin! Father always said it was a gift from a special friend of hers. You may need a magnifying glass. I'll send a photo of it to you."

"Good to know," Hakuba remarked, "now what's her name?"

"Kuroba Miki, nicknamed 'ki ama' or 'black crow' on occasion," Kaito rushed on. "Heck, I asked her to meet me by some abandoned docks come Saturday. We'll see who shows up."

"Supposed to be dead for ten years," Hakuba had muttered. "May I tag along?"

"Sure, I don't see why not! I mean, she was always really nice to me and everyone really. She's my father's, actually, but she's his only cousin. Everyone else just either died or disappeared for some reason. It's...bizarre."

"Think I might have an idea," Hakuba offered.

"Yeah, she had an enemy for sure, but I haven't yet figured out **wh**o."

"That's the kicker," he admitted. "Well, thanks for the info. She won't harm a group of amateur detectives testing a hairpin, will she?"

"Oh, no," Kaito said casually. "In fact, she was always fairly protective of children, especially those she knew."

"...Interesting... Well, see you tomorrow."

"Yeah... See ya," Kaito said, hanging up, sounding fairly distracted. A ding told him the photo had been sent.

"Hakuba-san?" He heard Conan call. His attention snapped back.

"Yeah? Sorry, I was just thinking..." Conan smirked.

"About your friend?" He guessed. Hakuba nodded.

"Yeah...something was...bothering me. Oh, I'll figure it out later. Probably just the location or something."

"Happens to me all the time," Conan offered.

* Miki *

Miki glanced up at the signs overhead for the bullet train, a little bored, but trying to seem interested, as if she were actually looking for one.

Truth be told, she was more interested in the gift shop to her right. Her interest was the man in lack who was searching for something. He looked a little...familiar, to be honest. His choice of clothing and hair style did, anyway. She couldn't see his face; he was wearing sunglasses.

With a sigh, she walked into the gift shop, headed for the postcards.

Then she remembered that there was only one person with black hair and sunglasses-

"That'll be twenty-five yen, please," the cashier said.

"Okay," she heard. That was a dead man's voice...but it had been ten years...

"Vodka," she found herself whispering.

He froze and looked in her direction. Then he walked over. Every step made her nervous.

"Ki ama?" Vodka guessed.

Miki gave a slight nod, then gestured toward the exit. He followed her out of the gift shop, out of the station and into an alleyway.

"Sorry," Miki apologized, "it's just-"

"-you've been dead for ten years, someone wants it to stay that way and you've finally cooked up a way to get revenge?" He guessed.

"More or less," she admitted, a bit surprised. "I would have announced myself much sooner if the man who tried to kill me wasn't running the organization I had to leave for a while. That jerk has probably made a mess of things, too," she grumbled.

"How many chances did you give him?" She shook her head.

"Apparently too many, Anyway, it took far too long to gather all the proof for the many crimes he has committed against me personally. Who are you meeting?"

"Gin."

"I see. Well, I'll just leave you my number, then. I'll speak with him later, so you don't need to inform him just yet. Oh, and if you tell everyone else I'm back, I'm going to give you h***."

"Yeah. I know."

"No hard feelings?"

"Nah."

"Okay, see ya!" She called out as she waved, walking away.

When she was out of sight, she began running. Then she slowed when she came to the street.

"Osaka," she muttered quietly to herself, recognizing her location.

A black porsche sped past her and she recognized it immediately.

"Gin," she whispered quietly to herself as she pulled her hat down low to hide her face, feigning an ordinary girl feeling the breeze of the car as it rushed past. She smiled to herself when she saw Vodka in the passenger's seat and Gin driving, pleased she had guessed correctly.


	4. Connections

Hakuba absent-mindedly pulled out his phone as they arrived at the lab, flipping to the picture Kaito had sent him.

"Hey, is that the hairclip?" Conan asked. Hakuba shrugged.

"Maybe. We'll know when your friends arrive, since they have the hairclip in question."

"Then who sent the picture?"

"A relative of one Kuroba Miki. Found it flipping through family photos, apparently. You, know, the woman whose plane blew up ten years ago?"

Conan fell silent, staring at the wall in the distance.

"Blew up in a plane, huh? If she's the woman I met who was friends with my mother, she was a very kind person and your friend is likely right," he finally voiced. "I was wondering why she never contacted us after a certain day..." He took out his phone and flipped it open, then typed something, closing it immediately after, grabbing Hakuba's curiosity.

"Who?"

"Someone who would know more about that incident."

Hakuba raised his eyebrow. Who would know more, seriously?

"Kudo Yuusaku."

"Ah."


	5. Suspicions II

They finally arrived at the lab. Hakuba and Conan were waiting at the door for them.

The professor and Haibara had quite the adventure getting directions from Hakuba on the way over while answering the questions of three very inquisitive first-graders.

Hakuba had his phone out and immediately asked to see the hairclip in question. It was a full minute before Haibara dug it out and consented to having it examined.

"Wow...I really **am** going to need that magnifying glass..." He muttered.

Mitsuhiko took both the hairclip and the phone, then pulled out his magnifying glass. Genta and Ayumi pulled him off a little distance away and the three thoroughly inspected the design as best they could without taking it out of the plastic bag.

Haibara, to everyone's surprise, insisted on being given a tour of the lab while those kids investigated. Hakuba lead her in, leaving Conan and the professor outside with them.

"It's so pretty!" Ayumi exclaimed, "and so sweet!"

"It's weird," Genta remarked. "Was it written to a bird? Maybe her favourite food is crow!"

"No, Genta-kun," Mitsuhiko argued. "It's definitely written to her, but it's a bit of a strange message..."

"What's the message?" Genta prompted. Mitsuhiko nodded.

"Yeah...it says 'you're chained this world' over here, then over there, it says 'remember, you're not allowed to die' and over here, it says 'you are the – picture of a bird – my closest friend' and some characters that are so heavily scratched out, I can't decifer them."

"Here," Conan offered, "let me try."

He spent a good five minutes looking it over before sighing, handing it back and shaking his head.

"It's scratched out in the picture, too, exactly the same!" Genta exclaimed.

"Where did Hakuba-nee-san get that picture?" Mitsuhiko asked.

"He said it was from a special friend," Conan offered.

"It was one of the items found in the plane wreckage," Ayumi added.

"So it's definitely the same person," Mitsuhiko concluded.

"Haibara said she was dangerous," Genta warned. Conan nodded.

"Let's get this tested, now, so we know for sure."

"What bothers me," Mitsuhiko whispered to Conan, "is that the only name that came up connected with that plane was Kuroba Miki, or umm...a not so nice name."

"Tell me it anyway."

'Ki ama," Mitsuhiko finally let out. A great weight felt like it left him...until he saw the look on Conan's face. It was the same look Haibara had given when she thought the talent scouts had been a part of the mafia – fear, absolute terror.

Conan dashed into the lab and they all followed.

"Should be handled by the FBI," Haibara had said, "force me back in," "all sorts of weapons," "outwitted Kaito Kid, police, FBI, CIA, Kudo Yuusaku, can Hakuba," "this Black Death person." Those flashed through his head and he panicked. When they had that talent scout issue, Haibara had admitted the conclusion he derived wasn't too far off the mark, and everything said she was connected to the owner of this hairclip, who may have died ten years ago...that she knew. She was over ten years old...no, that was impossible! But it was the only way for everything to make sense.

Now he had to make sure, reevaluate... He had to ask Haibara now. Had to. She d**efinitel**y was **not** in first grade. Now the Bell Tree Express Train incident...made sense! It was no stranger who had saved them in the cabin...it had been her! There had been no woman like her on the train and that had to be why!

He stopped and studied Conan once they entered. Identical to Shinichi.

Shinichi's familiar address the first time...also made sense, if he applied the earlier theory to him as well. The awkward stuff with Ran now made sense, too, and why Haibara had said t**ha**t. It had been a tease. But...the play...no, it had been Haibara, teasing again, taking advantage of his request.

So this woman might be part of "something like that" – on reference to the mafia.

What was like the mafia? How far had she run to get away? And...the most important question:

H**ow had they shrun**k?!

Did it have something to do with those pills she always carried with her? If so, did those pills make them shrink or grow?

Mitsuhiko pondered all this as they searched for Hakuba and Haibara.

It took a while because the place was huge! Finally, Mitsuhiko found himself once more at the entrance. Then he saw, to his horror, Haibara bound and placed inside of a van that immediately drove away.

"Haibara!" Mitsuhiko screamed out, running up to the doors and forcing them open. He stumbled out and resumed, but stopped, panting, as it rounded the corner.

To his surprise, a black car pulled up next to him and the window rolled down. The driver had long, black hair. She wore a black hat, black sunglasses and from the looks of it, a black trenchcoat, black skirt and black boots.

"Let's go get your friend back," she said.

He couldn't pinpoint her age...twenty-five, maybe?

Without thinking, he opened the passenger's side door and hopped in.

"Buckle up," she ordered, "this might get a bit rough."

As if to prove her point, she raced off the curb, turned the corner a bit recklessly and tore off after the van that had taken Haibara.

"Call Subaru," she said, tossing him a sleek, black phone. On the side, printed delicately in silver, were the words "Black Death."

Nervously, he opened it, found the contacts, and selected Subaru.

"How do you know Subaru-san?" He asked. She gave a huff.

"Crashed at Yukiko's house last night. Had breakfast with him this morning. Added his number, delightful conversation and-has he picked up yet?"

"No."

"Wait patiently. He'll pick up. Answer before he does, though," she instructed.

The phone stopped ringing, someone picked up and Mitsuhiko jumped into action.

"Subaru-san?" He asked.

"Mitsuhiko-kun!" Subaru answered. "What's up?"

"Haibara's been kidnapped and this lady offered to help me get her back!" He explained, nearly shouting as the woman rushed through yet another intersection, window down. Mitsuhiko wondered how she could manage that. He was plugging one ear and listening extremely carefully.

"And she had you call me," he finished. "Where are you?"

"Uh..." Mitsuhiko glanced around frantically before giving him the intersection they were approaching, which road they were taking and, the direction the van had gone and the license plate.

When he finished, Subaru chuckled.

"All right, I'll head them off, then. See you shortly."

Mitsuhiko turned to the woman in black again.

"You knew him before that," he accused. She shrugged, leaning out of the window, frowned, sat back up, checked the mirrors, then reached into the tape compartment between Mitsuhiko and herself.

She pulled out a gun, reached out the window and proceeded to shoot the road just ahead of the van. He heard a few explosions, then it spun out of control, crashing into a nearby building. The woman swerved into a nearby alleyway.

"Wait here," she ordered. "I'll be right back!"

She locked the doors, took the keys and leapt out the window, all in one smooth move, much like...

"Kaito Kid!" Mitsuhiko gasped in a whisper. Then he checked the compartment. There was a nail gun, which made sense, but it also meant she hadn't taken it with her.


	6. Old Friends I

* Miki *

Miki could have kicked herself. She had let down her guard...again! The last time, she had almost lost her life!

With a sigh, she broke open the back door while the van was still in one spot.

A screech of tires told her Subaru had arrived and the van starting up again told her they had no idea she had climbed aboard. Glancing around, she noticed a girl who was definitely a shrunken Sherry tied up.

She grabbed her, holding her tight, then tied the rope around her waist as she grasped the top of the back, then looked around, waiting.

Finally, an overhang loomed into view and she grabbed it with both hands, then swung up on the low roof with a huff.

The "roof" was merely a balcony on a highrise.

It took some time to reach the actual roof and lie down flat.

After making sure the van was well on its way to its destination, she sent Subaru a quick text.

"Black Death, isn't it?" A child's voice asked flatly. Miki nodded, shutting the phone.

"Sorry about the ten-year wait. Had to lie low. Your boss is an a**hole, by the way, but never mind." She rolled over to face her. "How have you been, Shiho-chan?" The glare made Miki sigh. "If Gin's been chasing you, I'm going to rip that man a new one. Vermouth will pay, too, but the boss is the mastermind, so I'll give him r**ea**l h***."

"Why are you saving me?" She finally demanded. Miki huffed.

"Can't answer that right now. Some jerk is coming. A jerk whose footsteps I know well. Drop down from that side, right to the ground. Turn left, then right, and wait in the car with Mitsuhiko so I can take you back. Yes, it's my hairpin. Whatever. Get lost before I change my mind!"

Much to Miki's relief, Shiho disappeared over the railing to her left.

Once she was out of sight, the roof door opened and out came none other than Gin.

With a smirk, Miki kicked him down the stairs, but ended up tackling him anyway.

The kick winded him, but had his wits about him when he landed.

"...Miki...?" He guessed.

"Yeah. It's me," she admitted quietly. "Sorry for the scare."

Something cold and metal was pressed against the back of her head when she stood as requested.

"Oh, come on!" Miki complained out loud before dodging a bullet and kicking the bearer into the wall. "Oh!" She exclaimed. "Sorry!"

It was Bourbon, who was now out cold. She turned back to face Vermouth in the doorway across from her.

With a smirk, she activated an old trap she had left ten years ago. Steel cable wound itself around Vermouth, gun and all.

Finally, she came face to face with Gin again.

"'Sup?" She asked, looking once more down the barrel of a gun, this time belonging to Gin.

"Why did you lie?" He growled, "and where have you been?"

She grit her teeth, fighting for composure. This was not the Gin she remembered. This Gin was colder, a shameless murderer she hardly recognized.

"Gin," she growled, catching Vermouth and him off guard, grabbing her own gun and shot just in front of his foot. He pulled the trigger. She dodged, tripped him, smacking his head on the floor.

"What the h***?" He asked. In response, she slapped him. Hard.

"Your boss is gonna get it worse. Don't complain," she said shortly. "He's blown my patience. So have some of you," she glared around the room. "How in the h*** did you stoop to the point where an F**BI agen**t was able to infiltrate?!" Miki finally hissed.

Vermouth's eyes were saucers.

Bourbon stumbled backward as she punched him.

"I've had it! Not only that, but if you disobey my next orders, even o**n**e of them, you might end up dead, no matter w**h**o you are!"

None of them moved. She let out a long breath.

"Vodka's coming to pick the lot of you up. If you inform your boss, you will die. Promise." She locked eyes with Vermouth, who didn't even flinch.

"I will send my instructions to you," she pointed at Vermouth, "in one hour, you," she pointed at Gin, "in two and you," she said, facing Bourbon, "in fifteen minutes. The rest is up to you," she said pointedly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a promise to keep. Good day!" She called casually, hopping from the balcony.

* Bourbon *

Bourbon stood, stunned for only a moment.

"Ugh!" Gin exclaimed, holding his head, clearly in pain.

"Uh...you okay?"

"D*** ki ama gave me a f***ing headache!" He snapped.

"Actually, she gave you a concussion," Bourbon managed, unwinding Vermouth. "Now, since you two know her better, would she really-?"

"-not likely-" Vermouth tried.

"-but someone else probably will," Gin finished off, still holding his head.

"Okay, Gin needs to see a real doctor," Bourbon managed.

"Yeah, I know," he growled, slowly standing up. "Let's go meet Vodka in the underground garage."

Bourbon half lead, half carried Gin down the stairs, following Vermouth at a relaxed pace.

It took ten minutes to reach Vodka and two more to reach the block he needed to reach.

"Let me off here," he said quietly. Vodka complied, pulling over.

He ducked into an alleyway just as his phone rang.

"Hello?" He answered.

"Amuro Toou-san," he heard a woman's voice say. "Don't take this personally, but you are right about Shinichi and Shuichi. They are very much alive. I need them to stay alive for now, and as unharmed as possible. Nevertheless, I am not asking you to do anything to them but what you were already. Avoid suspicion, you know, but protect the Detective Boys. I have a use for them, honestly."

"What about Sera Masumi?"

"Avoid her like the plague. Shouldn't have to harm her if you do that."

"Gotcha. Anything else?"

"Yeah. Promote Kir as much as possible. I want the boss to keep her close, if possible."

"I smell a rat."

She laughed.

"You'll find out soon enough, but that is all for now. Erase my number from your phone, please. Talk to you soon, Bourbon. Adios!" The phone clicked and the transmission ended.

He stood still for a while, staring at the phone. An angry Black Death was an efficient one, he decided, but should he join her side? His teeth grit. Regardless, she would pay for humiliating him earlier, that much was certain. The boss was toast, that was a given. Miki would fry that bugger to a crisp and serve his head on a silver platter to wild boar. That was all too clear.

Bourbon knew exactly what to do now.


	7. Old Friends II

* Miki *

Miki sighed, closing the door beside her.

"How are you doing?" She asked, slightly distracted, calming herself down.

"We're fine," Shiho stated in a robotic manner. Miki adjusted her mirrors back.

"...you would mess with those..." She muttered to herself.

"What happened?" Mitsuhiko inquired. Miki shook her head.

"After saving your friend, I had a bit of a spat with some of my old ones. They were being big meanies!" She pouted, childishly, arms crossed.

Then she let out a deep breath, released her arms, buckled up, placed the keys in the ignition, turned the car on, placed it in reverse and carefully backed out of the alleyway.

"Where are we going?" Shiho drilled.

"The lab," she said innocently, "where else?"

"So you're Miki," Mitsuhiko guessed. She nodded.

"Or rather, I was. Miki's dead now, though, so I adopted a new identity. You can call me 'Amarante' now," she admitted, earning a smirk from one Miyano Shiho in the back seat.

"What do you want from me?" Shiho finally snapped. Miki couldn't hid the severity of her eyes or her voice.

"Stay alive," she growled. "Keep yourself and your friends alive. Subaru will help you. I promise." Shiho fell silent and Mitsuhiko looked confused.

"What about me?"

"Same goes for you," Miki managed softly. "Keep that info to yourself, don't go blabbing. That's part of keeping your friends and yourself alive. Understoof?"

"Yeah," he said quietly.

"Don't take it personally," she soothed, "just some things went very wrong ten years ago and nothing's gone right since. Sure, it's been all underneath things, stuff the general public couldn't see if it were directly in front of them, but you're n**o**t the general public in this case, so I have taken notice of you, if only a little."

"What went wrong ten years ago?" Shiho piped up. Miki shook her head.

"Gave a certain someone a chance when they clearly should not have gotten it. They took that window of opportunity and practically destroyed me and everyone I cared about in the process. They're either dead or severely injured emotionally. Most have snapped in some manner. I just beat up three of 'em."

"You beat up your friends?" Mitsuhiko repeated.

"They pointed guns at me!" Miki exclaimed as she turned a corner. Mitsuhiko stared at her. Shiho just held onto the grip by the door latch.

"Did your friends kidnap Haibara?" He wondered. Miki laughed.

"Oh no! No, those were just some punks likely wanting a ransom and mistaking her for that child star in America or something! My old buddies who I'm not so pleased with wouldn't have left her unguarded in the back of a truck," she sighed. "It would have been a person with reasonable defensive skils and a gun somewhere on their person."

"More than one," Shiho corrected.

"Depends who it is, really," Miki remedied. "Oh yeah, and feel free to text my old number whenever you need to."

The car pulled up to the lab.

"I'd like your number, too," Mitsuhiko stated. Miki looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Yeah, sure. Haibara, you can give it to him and Shinichi if you feel like it. I honestly don't mind. Although," she paused, "it'll no longer be accessible when I retire." Shiho merely nodded in response.

Mitsuhiko still seemed inquisitive.

"Miss, why-"

"-call me when you leave the lab and drill me then, please. I'm on a schedule right now. In about two and a half hours, I should have some free time. Now scoot! Your friends are looking for you."

* Mitsuhiko *

Mitsuhiko noticed that her smile vanished once she thought they weren't looking. She, in fact, looked like she was going to cry. In fact, a tear did slide down her cheek as she pulled away.

Black Death, it seemed, cared a great deal for Haibara and her friends after all.

"Did you see-?" Mitsuhiko stopped. Haibara was already inside with everyone else, motioning for him to come over.

He let it go and joined them, pretending nothing had happened.

-during testing-

"Where were you, anyway?" Mitsuhiko finally asked Haibara. "We were looking all over for you and Hakuba!"

"He was still showing me around...until I went off to the bathroom, which I never reached. Speaking of which, excuse me." She headed off in the general direction of the facilities.

* Miki *

As soon as Bourbon hung up, Miki's phone rang. She glanced at the number: Shuichi.

"What's up?" She asked innocently as she put the phone to her ear.

"Do you have a job?" Subaru asked.

"Well, yeah, of course I do," Miki replied. "At a café, in fact. Not too far from your current residence. Why do you ask?"

"I'm a third year engineering student."

Miki burst out laughing like a crazy person in the middle of the street.

"I never expected that from you!" She finally explained, calming down.

"Neither did I," he stated, his voice carring a tell-tale smirk.

Before calling Bourbon, Miki had pulled into the underground parking lot of a department store relatively near the lab. While talking, she had removed the trenchcoat, hat and sunglasses. Then she had applied her disguise. It was so light that anyone who had seen her out of it would probably notice immediately, but she had aged and those who had not seen her out of her disguise recently might never guess it was really her.

After that, she had gone into the store, but exited through the main entrance with the crowd.

She had laughed shortly after exiting and attracted a few stares until they noticed she was on the phone. Then everyone lost interest and no longer found her frightening, much to her relief.

"Where are you, anyway?" He inquired.

"Oh, just walking somewhere again," she answered.

"What about your car?"

She stopped and let out a sigh.

"I'll collect it after work, if you must know. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a shift in three hours."

Miki snapped her phone shut and headed for the nearest train station. There was a good half an hour before she had said she would call Vermouth, but something tolf her she might get a bit busy beforehand.

Not what she needed.


	8. Rendez-Vous

* Subaru *

Subaru let out a rather large sigh and returned the car he had borrowed from Ran's father – with Ran's permission, of course, as her father was in a drunken stupor...again...

"Good afternoon," he greeted. Ran looked up and smiled.

"Subaru-san! What did you need it for, anyway?" He paused. Now, that would be a story to tell! Helped a dead woman save a friend of yours? Too many questions.

"I had a rather urgent errand to run for a friend," he answered. "Pity it was unnecessary."

"Oh, she found someone else to help?"

"Oh, no, she enlisted me as a back-up plan...and how did you know the gender?"

"I saw a woman walk out of Shi-Kinichi's house this morning, and I know you're living there." She glared daggers at him.

Subaru raised his hands in mock surrender.

"She popped up out of nowhere after disappearing for ten years like a ghost. Apparently Kudo Yukiko gave her permission to crash there should she ever have the need...and that was last night," he admitted.

She blinked at him a few times.

"So she had her own room?" Subaru laughed despite himself.

"Yes, she had her own room. Don't worry about that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have her sorry a** to save."

Ran looked confused at that. Subaru sighed.

"She has some rather violent old friends who have discovered her existence here." Her face became concerned. "Oh, I'm not worried for her life so much-" lying through his teeth "-but she does have work and a hold-up might end poorly. Don't worry, Ran-chan, everything will be all right today. No one will die from just this one incident."

"It's if there's many," she pressed. He nodded. "Be careful, then."

"I will."

"Can you promise our friends will return home today?"

"Yes."

"All right."

"Oh. I almost forgot. Call Masumi. Tell her to expect a call from me."

"Uh...sure..."

Subaru smirked and walked away.

Ran was extremely sharp...and in far more a dangerous position than he could ever explain to her without getting the police...or even the FBU involved. It was more cautious dancing than he had originally planned for, but he had a pretty good idea of what was coming...or so he thought.

* Haibara *

There were a few sets of fingerprints on the hairpin. One belonged to Kuroba Miki, another belonged to Kudo Yukiko, and a third belonged to a man who had died about twelve years ago.

"The hair is black in colour and should belong to one person, though it ranges in age from approximately twelve years old to thirty. The most recent strands should belong to someone around twenty-eight to thirty years old," Hakuba finally summarized.

"Well, only one of them matches that description. Miki."

As usual, Conan said the final word on the case. No one argued. Everyone knew it was correct. The only problem was:

"So now what do we do?" Genta pointed out.

Haibara sat down wearily. None of this was easy to swallow. Where had she been for the last ten years?

"Should we give it back? It seems like it might be really special to her. I think she really misses it."

Ayumi, always thinking of others. Such a sweet little girl, but hardly ever cautious and of course, had not grasped just how dangerous an act like that might be.

Hakuba looked as if he wanted to say something, but closed his mouth before anything came out. Did he know something?

"Where was this even made?" Mitsuhiko inquired in wonder.

"It's a custom design," Hakuba sighed, "and there aren't too many places, thankfully, but the material...it must have been very expensive."

"It was probably the man who died twelve years ago who made it," Conan said grimly. "He did make hair pieces."

"Maybe we should go have a look at his collection," the professor suggested. Ayumi jumped at the opportunity and everyone else went along with it. After all, what harm could it cause to check that out?

They went in the professor's beetle with Hakuba following along behind in his car.

* Miki *

She sighed and arrived at the block as planned. Just as she produced her cellphone, however, a motorcycle zoomed past, firing three shots. One grazed the side of her arm painfully, but the other two missed as she was able to duck behind a nearby delivery truck. She ran around the corner and hid behind a dumpster.

A car she swore was hers slowed to a stop and she recognized Subaru immediately.

She took the chance and dove into the passenger's seat, slamming the door behind her, breathing hard.

"D*** it!" She hissed, slapping sunglasses on his face. "I am not compromising your current disguise, you reckless son-of-a!" Miki fell silent when she realized what she was doing. Her eyes met the floor and she took a deep, slow breath.

"Son of a what?" Subaru asked, smirking.

"Wonderful woman!" Miki exclaimed. "Turn left here." He obeyed.

She dialed Vermouth's number.


	9. Setbacks

* Vermouth *

Swearing under her breath, Vermouth pulled into an alleyway located between a grocery store and a sushi place, then answered her phone.

"You're late!" She barked.

"Tell it to someone who cares," a voice said as the call ended. Miki stepped out from behind the corner further into the alley. Her hands were resting comfortably at her sides, her hair was loose, missing the hairpin she usually carried, but Vermouth knew it was her instantly anyway.

"All right, all right, I'm sorry for shooting at you." Miki sighed.

"It's fine. I needed that anyway." Her eyes looked up at a nearby window and narrowed.

Vermouth wondered what she could be looking at. There was no one there...unless...

"So, what are your orders?" She asked. Miki's gaze remained steadily fixed on the window above.

"Well, I need you to keep an eye on people. You're good at that, anyway. Report every move that your boss, Chianti or Kir makes. Don't act on anything, though, just report it."

"Understood." Vermouth stared at Miki for a bit. "What's up there?"

"A building about three hundred feet away. Sniper on the roof. Wondering where they're aiming is all." Miki finally tore her gaze away. "You have another question."

"Yes. Typically, I work with Bourbon. What is his assignment?" Miki sighed.

"To stay where he is; keep an eye on the Detective Boys, but not to lay a hand on anyone."

"Giving that job to someone else?" Vermouth teased, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Miki admitted, "I need them for something. Something only they can do."

"Tell me," Vermouth finally growled. "Is Akai Shuichi alive?" Miki smirked.

"I have to wonder why you didn't ask about Sherry first."

Vermouth drew her gun and pointed it at Miki, who tisked in response.

"Don't take this personally, but I have a job for that a**hole to do, too. He'll do it, without even knowing it."

Surprised, Vermouth lowered the gun.

"I have a job for him, Kudo Shinichi and Miyano Shiho. The Detective Boys will help. None of them will know the full plan or what exactly is going on. You should know that from previous experience. I will let you know further details later on. For now, though, I have work to attend to."

Vermouth bit back a few choice words and nodded, allowing Miki to leave.

Her boss was toast, and regardless of the ten-year gap, Miki still knew them. Had they changed that little? Or had she been watching all these years somehow?

Frustrated, she got back on her motorcycle and rode away to keep with her daily demands.

* Subaru *

He watched with amusement as Miki exited the alleyway and checked her pockets, then glared at him.

"Yes, I stole your keys," he said as she sat down, furious.

"I would have been fine!" She spat back.

"Against a motorcyclist with perfect aim? I don't think so."

Miki huffed and leaned back against her seat, then stared at him for a while.

"Mind if I borrow this for the day?" He asked. She shook her head.

"Just...don't damage it too much, all right?"

He waved it off, and followed her instructions to a specific train station.

* Conan *

After visiting the shop, Hakuba drove home, and they were waiting for the professor to drive the car around when -

"Kudo-kun! It's her!" Haibara whispered, pointing at a woman who was entering the train station. She looked normal enough, but Haibara seemed to want to...follow her?

"All right, let's go check it out," he whispered back, then turned his attention to the other three nearby. "You guys wait for the professor. We'll meet up with you at his house later, okay?"

The three turned as Conan and Haibara started running.

"Hey! Wait up!" Genta barked.

Conan at first dreaded them catching up, but it never happened. Checking over his shoulder, he realized Ayumi had persuaded them not to, much to his relief.

They boarded the train after her.

- Forty-five minutes later -

Precisely forty minutes after they boarded, Conan noticed with a shiver that Gin and Vodka had boarded the same car. They instinctively avoided both gazes, hiding behind other people and behaving like children somewhat.

Gin and Vodka moved around a little, clearly looking for someone.

After about five minutes, they seemed to give up and looked as if they would leave soon.

The train slowed to a stop, Miki let go of the handle she was holding on to, lifted her foot to take a step and got shoved into Gin.

They both froze for a moment, then Gin pulled Miki through the crowd and Vodka followed. Conan raised an eyebrow at Haibara, who shrugged.

They headed in that direction, too.

"Well, that was unexpected," Miki admitted, laughing a little, clearly embarrassed. "I was just about to step out on the platform and call you."

Just about to call who? Gin or Vodka? Or both? Clearly, all three understood, but one look told him Haibara was just as confused as he was. On the other hand, Vodka smirked and Gin blinked. The three nodded and Vodka excused himself.

"Three stops," Gin said as Vodka stood. He nodded and walked off with the crowd. Miki was glancing around the car.

Gin tapped her shoulder and she raised her eyes to meet his.

"Sorry," she said quietly. "How's your head?" Sorry? How's your head? What happened? Conan had to wonder. Maybe Haibara would tell him later, when members of the organization were no longer present.

"Hospital-worthy," he managed. "Why don't you send me the instructions via text?" Miki shook her head. Hospital-worthy? What is he doing on a train with a concussion?

"Far too risky for you. Not risky for me, but your life might be in danger if I do that. I'll have to tell you now and hope you remember." Gin frowned.

"Fine. Tell me." Conan tensed. This was what he was waiting for! Miki took a deep breath, but a bullet pierced through the skull of someone nearby and at the very least skinned her knee, causing her to wince.

His eyes widened. The man dropped.

Conan winced as Haibara squeezed his arm. She had wanted to know the instructions as well. Miki checked the man's vitals immediately and shook her head. There were a number of screams and the train stopped at the next station.

Police were everywhere. Miki seemed frozen, undecided. Then Gin's hand raised, holding a pistol, and sped toward her back. Conan was uncertain if he was saving her life or endangering it.

"F***," she managed, before passing out, indicating the latter.

Then Conan lost Gin and Miki in the confusion that followed.


End file.
